McBride's self-destruction is a tonic for the Tories
James Forsyth 8:04pm
On Wednesday night I was in the Westminster Arms watching the football. Damian McBride was in there as well. Much to the chagrin of my drinking companions, his presence dominated the place. He swaggered around with total confidence. Whatever the polls and logic said, this was one Brown praetorian who gave no outward sign that he thought the game was up.
You might not like what McBride did, but he was effective--think of the role that Billy Bremner played for Don Revie’s Leeds United--at least against Labour opponents. As Bagehot notes, McBride’s performance at last year’s Labour conference was brilliant. But he and the rest of the Brown team have never had the same kind of success against the Tories. Indeed, this whole smear campaign that has led to McBride’s resignation can be seen as an expression of frustration that they couldn’t take out opponents they disdained.
The fall of McBride will have huge psychological consequences. The Tories have always been slightly nervous about how they would fare under the no quarter given assault that the Brownites would launch once the election campaign got under way. With McBride having shot himself in the foot before the starter’s gun has even been fired, the Tories will feel a lot more confident. The first scalp of the 2010 election has been claimed and it is a Brownite one.
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David
April 11th, 2009 8:18pm Report this commentThis gives the Tories the crucial bullet of 'we know you're lying, and you have form to prove it'.
Obnoxio The Clown
April 11th, 2009 8:31pm Report this commentThe Tories have always been slightly nervous about how they would fare under the no quarter given assault that the Brownites would launch once the election campaign got under way.
If you're right, then they don't deserve their turn at the wheel.
Useless twats.
AndyLeeds
April 11th, 2009 8:37pm Report this commentMcBride is merely typical of the Brownites. They think only of themselves. Can't wait until the whole damn lot of them self destruct.
Poppy Koch
April 11th, 2009 10:02pm Report this commentPlease James stop being so impressed. 'Brilliant' is not the word for anything this lot have EVER done. Stop encouraging them please.
jwright
April 11th, 2009 10:20pm Report this commentI wonder what the saintly Rev Brown would say about this ? Birds of a feather .!!
Thomas Cussans
April 11th, 2009 10:57pm Report this commentThat even someone so apparently level headed as you James should have taken as read that McBride was someone to be taken seriously exactly explains why McStalin's party – bullying, goon-like and instinctively nasty – have so consistently been given the benefit of the doubt by a supine media.
Gordon Brown is a foul, repellent man. He is bully and a thug. He is also very stupid.
He should be relentlessly pursued, his idiocy and his nastiness highlighted day after day.
Please, never give him the benefit of the doubt again.
He is little better than a kind of gangster.
Dan Hannan suggested his true metier would have been a Soviet enforcer. In fact Al Capone is nearer his natural level.
Think of him as Al Capone's enforcer. That is about as
MartSharm
April 12th, 2009 12:53am Report this commentObnoxio, watch your language. I meet Tories every day. Proper ones. Ones that will fight tooth and nail to win this coming election. Not with lies and spin, but with truth and good grace.
Care to join us?
Son of the Manse
April 12th, 2009 1:30am Report this commentIsn't it astonishing that the kind of malicious lies peddled by McPoison have emanated from No 10; the building that houses our Dear Leader who is so accurately guided in all he says and does by a 'moral compass'.
I always thought sanctimony was a front for hypocrisy.
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